29 Oct 2026
On 13th October 2026, our 2025/26 WOHAA award winners had the exciting opportunity to visit JOSEPH, a leading luxury fashion house, for a work experience day exploring the world of fashion, design and retail. The visit offered students a unique insight into the industry, allowing them to learn directly from professionals and discover the many different careers involved in bringing a fashion collection to life.
Exploring the World of Fashion
The day began with a welcome and introduction from JOSEPH’s HR team, who shared insights into the company and the different routes into the fashion industry. Students then heard from professionals across several departments, including product merchandising, creative direction and design, product development, garment technology and marketing.
From understanding how collections are planned and priced to exploring how designs become finished garments, students gained a valuable understanding of the processes behind a luxury fashion brand. The sessions also explored how trend research, creative direction and marketing campaigns help shape a brand's identity and connect with different audiences. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, learn about potential career paths and gain a clearer picture of the skills and expertise needed to succeed in the sector.
From Ideas to Action
One of the highlights of the day was an interactive group activity that challenged students to develop their own ideas and present them to JOSEPH’s CEO. Working against the clock, they had to think creatively, collaborate with one another and turn their initial thoughts into a presentation.
Although the task was challenging at first, it encouraged students to think beyond their initial ideas and explore the different possibilities that could emerge from a single concept. The experience put their teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills to the test, giving them a taste of the creative thinking and quick decision-making required in a professional environment. The day concluded with a group discussion and reflections on the key lessons learned.
A Student's Perspective
Reflecting on the experience, one of our WOHAA award winners, Anoushka shared how much she valued the opportunity to learn from industry professionals:
"I enjoyed the friendliness and the professionalism of the staff. They explained difficult and complex processes in easily understandable language. I benefitted from learning how the products were made, chosen, and marketed to different demographics, and the Q&A sessions were very helpful too."
She also highlighted the group activity as a particularly valuable part of the day, explaining how working with a friend helped them develop ideas to present to the group. The experience encouraged them to think more deeply about what they had learned, even continuing the discussion with their mother after returning home.
Reflecting on the visit, Anoushka added: "The overall experience was very positive. I am grateful to WOHAA and Joseph for organising the event for us and I am looking forward to participating in similar activities in the future."
Inspiring the Next Generation
At WOHAA, we want students to develop the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to turn their ambitions into action. Opportunities like this allow our award winners to explore careers they may not have previously considered, learn from professionals and discover how their skills can translate into the workplace.
A huge thank you to everyone at JOSEPH for welcoming our students and sharing their time and expertise. We are incredibly grateful for their support in providing such an inspiring and valuable experience for our WOHAA award winners!
What Our Students Thought
Mia's Experience: "I wanted to say a huge thank you to the whole team, and especially Rajni, for organising such a fantastic work experience day at Joseph. Making the trip to London to visit Joseph as well as the fabulous CEO, it was so exciting, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to gain an insight into the fashion industry. The experience really enlightened me about the journey from an initial idea through design, fabric sourcing and production, right through to the final product and marketing. I particularly enjoyed the talk about fabric sourcing, as it linked so closely with my A-level Geography studies. I am hoping to go to university next year to study Geography and Economics, so it was fascinating to learn how geopolitics can influence different aspects of the fashion industry, from rising oil prices to increasingly hot summers driving demand for linen. It was wonderful to see how so many different factors and decisions come together to create a final product. Thank you again to everyone involved for such an insightful, inspiring and memorable opportunity. It was truly appreciated!"
Ruzena's Experience: "First, we learnt about how JOSEPH works through workshops led by specialists in their respective roles. Here, we could ask as many questions as we wanted and gain insight into the fashion world. It was very interesting!
We learnt about different areas of the business, including product merchandising, designing, product development, atelier and garment technology.
I particularly enjoyed learning about the design process and how an initial idea develops into a finished product. We learnt how designers research inspiration, explore different materials and colour palettes, and consider comfort, durability and cost when creating clothing.
We also gained insight into product development, including pattern making, craftsmanship and technical fitting. It was fascinating to see how closely the different teams work together, from the initial designs through to producing the final garments.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I gained so much knowledge and insight into the real world, all while having fun! A special thank you to WOHAA for making this opportunity possible."